Postseason games to start earlier

Major League Baseball and Fox announced today that playoff games will have earlier start times this season.

Weeknight games will start at 7:57 p.m., Saturday games could start even earlier than that and Sunday games will start after Fox’s NFL coverage concludes.

"Postseason games on Fox the last couple years have been running longer. This will move the conclusions of the games back to between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, which we think is optimum," Fox spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said.

Recently, games began past 8:30, so this change is somewhat significant.  And according to this AP report, this will be the first time in more than 30 years that a World Series game will begin before 8 p.m.

These changes only affect Fox ALCS and World Series games at the moment.  Bud Selig said it is undetermined whether TBS, who has the NLCS this year, will also start earlier.

Of course, this means nothing to us should the Yankees miss the playoffs again.

Selig wouldn't rule out punishment for A-Rod

From Nathaniel Vinton and Christian Red:

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig came out roaring Wednesday, putting Alex Rodriguez on notice that the Yankee third baseman's admitted performance-enhancing drug use may not go unpunished.

In an interview with USA Today, Selig was asked if he would consider suspending the three-time American League MVP after Rodriguez told ESPN on Monday that he had juiced from 2001 through 2003 when he played for the Rangers.

"It was against the law, so I would have to think about that," Selig told the paper. "It's very hard. I've got to think about all that kind of stuff."

But Selig's remarks may be more bark than bite. Baseball conducted survey testing during 2003 - when Rodriguez won his first MVP award - but there were no punishments for players who tested positive. In 2001 and 2002, there was no drug-testing program in place. It was during 2004 when players were first subject to possible penalties if they tested positive for banned substances.

"He's open to everything. That doesn't mean he can do everything. He's keeping all options open," MLB spokesman Rich Levin told the Daily News, referring to Selig.

Well this is just a little ridiculous, isn't it? Jason Giambi wasn't suspended.

It appears as if Selig is trying to cover himself for this era. He has blood on his hands and he knows it. For all the good he's brought to the game during his tenure, he's also responsible for the steroid era.

There were also 103 names on the list that implicated Rodriguez. If Selig really wanted to make a difference, suspending A-Rod wouldn't be the answer. Releasing the entire list of names would. The players need to be accountable for their actions. Rodriguez partly was, now it's time for the other to be.

Yankees add another player to their crowded camp

The Yankees signed Billy Crystal to a one-day contract with an invitation to spring training tonight. He will work out with the team on Wednesday and play in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Commissioner Bud Selig had to sign off on this deal.

“I’ve been waiting 50 years for this call,” Crystal exclaimed. “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and Commissioner Selig. I know this’ll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I’m looking forward to helping the younger players…which, by the way, is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone.”
...

“The Yankees are excited to welcome the newest member of our team known for his humor and wit as well as his undying love for the Yankees,” said Lonn Trost, Yankees Chief Operating Officer. “The Yankees are very grateful to the Commissioner’s office for allowing us to extend this special invitation to Mr. Crystal.”

Stranger things have happened, I guess. Crystal, who will turn 60 on March 14, will wear No. 60.

Crystal hit .348 as a senior for his high school baseball team in Long Beach, N.Y. I bet Crystal at age 59 is a better hitter than Wil Nieves is.

Damon angered over false steroids report

Johnny Damon, Albert Pujols, Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra appeared to have been named by the Mitchell Report, as far as WNBC and its sources were concerned. They posted a list on their website three hours before the official report was released, and 41 of the names on their list turned out to be wrong.

Here is Damon's reaction, from George King and Samuel Goldsmith:

"I woke up and my brother is telling me there are reporters at my father's house," Damon told The Post. "My dad told them, 'My son isn't a liar, my son doesn't lie.'"

The center fielder was furious, and considered suing the station.

"It sucks, I am wondering if there is any legal course to turn to," Damon said. "I walk around with my shirt off. If I had anything to hide I wouldn't do that. I really don't know what to say. There seems to be some people who don't like me...

"I asked my agent about legal action, but he said it wasn't worth it. Maybe the president [of NBC] will write me a nice letter." (New York Post)

It's unfortunate that he has to go on the defensive for something he supposedly didn't do.

This whole situation is doing more harm than good. Could you imagine what would've happened if Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee weren't forced to testify? All of this time and money would have been wasted in a fruitless effort to uncover some dirt on things we all that went on in the past. That is pretty much what happened anyway, sans Roger Clemens getting busted.

I bet "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 is playing on Bud Selig's iPod right now.

Giambi agrees to meet with the Red Sox board director

Jason Giambi will discuss his drug use with Sen. George Mitchell.

Jason Giambi will meet with George Mitchell, agreeing right before baseball commissioner Bud Selig's deadline Thursday to cooperate with the steroids investigator.

Giambi, who for the first time publicly admitted he had a "personal history regarding steroids," will become the first active player known to speak with the former Senate majority leader. No date was set for their session.

The New York Yankees star announced his decision after he spoke on the phone with Selig. Lawyers for the players' union and Major League Baseball reached a written agreement that set rules for the meeting.

The former American League MVP said he wouldn't implicate other players and appeared to backtrack on earlier remarks that the sport owed fans a collective apology for the steroids era.

"I alone am responsible for my actions and I apologize to the commissioner, the owners and the players for any suggestion that they were responsible for my behavior," Giambi said in a statement.

"I will address my own personal history regarding steroids. I will not discuss in any fashion any other individual," Giambi said (source).

Oh, wow. He actually mentioned the word "steroids."

I don't know what this accomplishes. I guess it makes Selig sleep better at night, however.

Giambi vs. Selig

I know I'm a few days late (I was aware of the situation, but I didn't want to comment until now) with the whole Jason Giambi "apology" situation.

Because of his "I was wrong for doing that stuff" admission last month in USA Today, commissioner Bud Selig wants Giambi to fully comply with Senator George Mitchell's investiagation. If Giambi does not cooperate, he is facing suspension, which would most certainly be appealed by the Player's Union.

Giambi is the only one to ever admit to doing something wrong, but instead of being lauded, he is being persecuted.

What Selig is doing here is absolutely ridiculous. By threatening to suspend Giambi, he is scaring away other potential steroid abusers from going out in public and admitted they did something wrong. This goes along with the whole theme of keeping steroid use in baseball on the hush-hush during the 90's.

I am not defending Giambi in this situation because he's a Yankee. I have no sympathy for cheaters. However, Selig is trying to save himself and act like he's tough on drug users. He has no right to suspend Giambi. It is Selig's fault that there was no drug testing in baseball until only recently.

Bud Selig is the most awkward man in America

The MLB draft on ESPN2 is great television. This is the first year the draft is being televised, and of course, some of the top players are in attendance.

When they get drafted, they go up on the stage, put on their new team's hat, hold up a jersey with the used car salesman, er, baseball commissioner Bud Selig (pictured), shake his hand and take pictures with him.

I feel bad for the draftees. This is the biggest day of their lives and they have to take the most awkward pictures with the most awkward man in America. Their day is pretty much ruined at that point. He's like that embarrassing uncle that you only see once or twice a year, but you dread it nonetheless.

This is worth watching just to see Selig announce the names of players you've never heard of. I guess there was a reason why this was never televised before. When he retires in 2009, they should hire a more TV-friendly commissioner, at least for the players' sake. Entertainment-wise, I want Selig to stay on forever. Hearing him say, "The Texas Rangers are on the clock" is music to my ears.